A few months back I purchased a car and living in sunny Sacramento California, I immediately began researching window tint shops. Finding a Groupon special, I purchased the deal and scheduled my car to get the windows tinted. Arriving at this small shop in a rough part of town, I was pleased to see the two installers working diligently at their job, taking special care with each installation.
The owner helped me pick the products for my application and told me to come back in a few hours. Upon my arrival back at the shop the crew was just finishing up with my car. Again, I noticed the special detail the installers took in focusing on their craft; painstakingly working to perfect the final touches on my windows.
While they pulled the car around the front I settled up with the owner and mentioned how impressed I was with the work. I asked, “You run a very tight ship here. How is it that you’ve motivated your employees to be so conscientious with their work?” He said, “I’ve been installing tint on windows for 15 years; ever since I was in high school. During this time we use to make attempts at creating the “perfect” tint application, which is nearly impossible! I told my guys that I would put a $1 in a jar for every car we work on, and when we install the “perfect” application I will give that money to the employees to spend on whatever they wanted!”
“I started this program about 5 months ago and the level of work increased 10 fold! Their performance increased, the product application is near flawless and the spirits are high as each employee attempts to be the best! They even check each other’s work in hopes of finding that perfect window! At this point I have nearly $1,000 in this jar. Do you know what a few hundred dollars for each of my employees would do for them?”
This young entrepreneur found a small yet productive incentive program which separates his business from the competition by serving up a superior product. What are you doing to incentivize your workers to perform at their best?
